Plans and Excuses
by CaptKJaneway peadom
Summary: VAMB Steamy Summer 2011: Ronda requested: P/T J/C romance in Delta Quadrant wedding is a plus, babies are a plus


This was written for Steamy Summer 2011. Ronda requested: P/T J/C romance in Delta Quadrant wedding is a plus, babies are a plus

**This is not betad. Please forgive any mistakes.

Anti Litigation Protocols: They don't belong to me. I just borrowed them. I will put them back when I am done.

Rating: Lite NC-17

"So do you want to do the traditional wedding dress or do you want to do the dress uniform?" Kathryn asked her friend smiling.

B'Elanna leaned back in the chair and sighed. "I just don't know Kathryn. I want to have the full white dress and everything but so much of our life is Starfleet. And of course, Tom and I would not be together if it wasn't for you and this ship." B'Elanna blew back a strand of hair in frustration.

Kathryn leaned forward and placed her hand on B'Elanna's knee.

"I am sure that you will do what feels right when the time comes." She said comfortingly.

B'Elanna set her cup on the table in front of her and grabbed Kathryn's hand.

"Help me, please. "

Kathryn almost swallowed her tongue. Wedding planning? Her? There had been a time once when she had planned her own wedding down to the last detail. Twice in fact. And both times it had turned out disastrous.

"No, Be. I…I can't. I am not very good with wedding plans." She choked out.

"Please Kathryn," B'Elanna leaned forward, pleading with her eyes. "I don't think I can do this alone. I need someone to tell me that I am not insane. That this is not crazy. I mean, Tom and I have already been married for five years. We have three children together, and we…" B'Elanna rambled on quickly. Kathryn couldn't help but smile as she watched the desperate air that enveloped her friend.

B'Elanna stood up and began moving rapidly around the room, still rambling. Moving things from the shelves, rearranging small items on the table before them. Kathryn looked over at her friend and fell back in the chair giggling. Her giggles turned into full out laughing when the half Klingon leveled her version of the death glare at her.

"What is so damned funny?" B'Elanna asked her, a small smile sliding across her lips.

"At the moment you are!" Kathryn broke down in giggles again. B'Elanna smiled and sat down next to her friend.

"So when are you and Chakotay going to do this?" B'Elanna asked quietly.

Kathryn's face sobered and she took a deep breath.

"I don't know that we will." Kathryn said quietly. "You know it's funny. For years I was the one using protocols and regulations to keep him at arm's length. I was the one who made the excuses on why we couldn't move forward."

"But you gave in eventually." B'Elanna cut in.

"Yes, I did. I want to move forward. I want to show the entire crew that I love this man. We have been lovers for two years and it hasn't affected our command structure, but he still holds back. And when I try to push him for more, he reminds me that I didn't give in until I was ready. He tells me that we have plenty of time."

"Bah! Stupid P'tak!" B'Elanna spit out, continuing to ramble on violently in Klingon. Kathryn sat back and gave her friend a few moments to get back under control. After a minute of random crossing between English and Klingon, the dark haired woman stopped dead in her tracked. Kathryn felt a small trill of fear on her spine as her friend leveled and evil smile at her.

"Kathryn, "she began slowly, "have you ever asked him when he couldn't wiggle out of a response?"

"What do you mean?" Kathryn could feel her brow wrinkle.

"Have you ever asked him when it wasn't just the two of you alone?"

Kathryn thought about it for a moment and realized that since they had become lovers over two years ago, they still held their relationship in the dark. Hiding it from the crew.

"No. We never discuss personal business when we are in front of others."

"What if we changed that?" B'Elanna queried quietly.

Kathryn could see the plan forming in friend's eyes. She sat forward in anticipation.

"Let's go get some coffee and chocolate." B'Elanna suggested, rising from the couch.

Together the two women walked into the hallway.

Chakotay, Harry and Tom were sitting in the corner of the mess hall recovering from their latest escapade on the holodeck. All three were nursing sore legs from weight lifting and wanted to avoid anything that involved them moving.

"Wonder what they are up to." Tom's voice broke into the silence, jerking his head towards the table on the other side of the mess hall where his wife and his commanding officer sat together.

"I don't know, but from the look of things, I am not sure who should be afraid," Harry commented, sitting forward, and groaning as the movement sent pain through his body. "But someone should definitely be preparing an escape route."

Chakotay turned to watch his best friend and the love of his life giggling and making notes on a PADD. Then B'Elanna said something that caused Kathryn to sit up straight and turn blood red. He wondered exactly what they were talking about. It wasn't like Kathryn to blush easily. And she didn't show her emotions that openly. But it was good to see her smiling and acting like a 'normal' woman, whatever that was. He lifted his tea and took a drink, savoring the few minutes of peace since he knew that he was due on the bridge in less than an hour.

He could hear Tom and Harry still speculating about what the women were talking about. Suddenly he felt something like ice go down his back. He looked up and caught B'Elanna and Kathryn staring at him across the room. The look in both women's eyes caused him to squirm in his chair.

"Chakotay, you look kind of like a deer in the headlights. Whatever they were discussing, I am sure that it has something to do with you." Harry said quietly, scooting over in his chair so that he could get further away from his friend.

Chakotay watched the women as they gathered up their dishes and PADDs and headed for the door without so much as a head nod to indicate that they had actually seen them. As the door closed behind them, He and Tom shared a mutual look of confusion.

"What the hell just happened?" Tom asked. "B'Elanna never just walks out of a room after seeing me. She always at least comes over to say hi." His voice sounded a little lost as he stared at the closed door, almost willing his wife to come back through it.

Chakotay threw back the last of his drink and forced his body to obey him and raise him from the chair.

"You boys may not have anything better to do then sit here and debate what women talk about when we aren't there, but I have work to do."

He turned and walked out; missing the speculating looks that passed between the lower officers.

For two weeks, various crew members and officers reported coming across the Captain and Chief Engineer involved in private conversations that usually ended with one or both women collapsing in laughter. Every crew member that reported one of the strange occurrences stated that when they drew close enough to over hear anything, the two women would fall into a companionable silence that lasted until the passerby had past beyond hearing range.

Chakotay and Tom had been meeting daily to update each other on what they had been able to find out. So far neither of them had been able to find out anything. Today was no better.

Tom threw back another shot of the synthehol, shaking his head.

"I don't know what is going on, but did you know that they booted me out of my own quarters this morning." Tom said, exhaustion coloring his voice. "I don't think that I have had more than about five hours of sleep since the day that we saw them in the Mess Hall."

Chakotay leaned back in his chair, eyeing the glass in his hand.

"Yeah, I haven't seen hide nor hair of the Captain, unless you count the few hours that she spends on the bridge. Hell, she was barely there when we had our weekly dinner the other day."

Both men were so engrossed in their musing that they missed the door to the door opening to admit the two women on their minds. Kathryn and B'Elanna noticed the men sitting together and moved to sit on the other side of the room.

"Maybe they are working on the plans for your vow renewal?" Chakotay offered hopefully. "It is in less than three weeks."

"That could be it, but why would B'el not tell me if that was it?" Tom responded.

"I don't know man. I tried to ask the Captain about it, but her response was just that it was Captain's privilege." Chakotay shook his head. "Speaking of the vow renewal, how are you feeling about it?"

Tom's face broke into a sappy grin, eyes shining.

"I am happy. But then I love B'el more than life. I don't see why we are doing this again. I mean, we are already married. With kids, no less." Tom sighed. "But, it bakes her smile so I am all for it."

Chakotay reached over, placing his hand on the younger mans shoulder.

"I'm happy for both of you. You deserve each other."

Tom gave him a speculative glance.

"I'm not sure if you mean that good or bad." Laughter filled his voice.

They sat together in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"So Chakotay," Tom broke the silence. "When are you going to ask the Captain to do this?"

His question was met with thunderous silence. He cut his eyes up to look at the large man beside him. Chakotay turned his head, avoiding the younger man's gaze.

"I'm not." Tom grabbed a napkin from the table and covered his mouth, coughing and sputtering.

"I don't think I heard that right. What did you say?" He wheezed out.

"You heard me correctly. I'm not going to ask her."

"For Star's sake Chakotay, why in the hell not? I mean, everyone knows you live each other."

"I have my reasons." Chakotay replied dismissively.

"What possible reason could you have for this?" Tom's voice rose. "And don't give me the old Starfleet Command Structure excuse."

Chakotay stared down into his glass, memories of all the times that he had pushed for more and she had said no filling his mind.

"I don't deserve her and she damn well deserves better than me." Chakotay said quietly.

Tom's jaw hit the table. Of all of the excuses he had expected to hear, that was something that was not on his list. He thought quickly, trying to find something to convince Chakotay that he was wrong, but all of the arguments he had lined up didn't fit. Deciding that silence might be the best, he raised his hand and motioned to the barmaid to bring another round.

He placed a glass in front of Chakotay and waited. After a few minutes Chakotay took a deep breath and explained further.

"She is a Starfleet officer in a situation that Starfleet Academy never prepares you for. She has 150 people depending on her for everything. She has taken the personal welfare of this crew, the emotional toil of all those lives, upon herself."

"Yeah," Tom said quietly. "I think that is my point. With all of that on her she deserves to have something for herself. Someone to depend upon, to take on her emotional toil."

Chakotay lifted his head and stared into Tom's eyes, anguish coloring the dark circles.

"Yes, but through that all, she has remained a Starfleet Captain, through and through. They may forgive her for a dalliance with Federation traitor, but they would never forgive her for joining her life with one completely. If she is going to have any hope of being a Starfleet success when we get home, she has to be able to distance herself from me when the time comes." Chakotay finished quietly.

Tom sat there for a minute looking around, letting the commander's reasoning run through his mind. His eyes caught Bellona's across the room. B'Elanna tipped her head towards Chakotay back and furrowed her brow in question. Tom shook his head slightly and motioned that he would talk to her later. B'Elanna nodded and turned back to her companion.

"I don't know what is going on Kathryn, but it looks like we may have an unwitting ally in our plan." She said motioning to where the men sat.

Kathryn turned slightly to view Tom and Chakotay, concern filling her eyes at the sight of Chakotay hunched over his drink. She was half out of her seat to go comfort him when B'Elanna put her hand on her arm, stopping her.

"Kathryn, let Tom talk to him. Maybe he can find out a few things that we have not been able to figure out."  
Kathryn blew out a breath and settled back into her chair.

"What could he possibly find out?" Kathryn asked, her eyes still locked across the room

"Well, for one thing, he might be able to get us some insight into why the man who claims to love you more than life is unwilling to make the next step."

B'Elanna had to bite back the smile as Kathryn's eyes lit up.

"Now can we please get back to picking the flower colors for this shin-ding? I mean, we are down to less than three weeks." She pushed the PADD towards her friend. She noticed Tom and Chakotay heading towards the door. She motioned to Tom to meet her in an hour.

Tom fell back into the chair, rubbing his neck. Miral was sound asleep and so were the twins for now. He looked up as his wife came through the door. He rose to wrap his arms around her, inhaling the smell of her hair. He didn't know what he had done to deserve this woman but he was glad he did it.

"So what happened with Chakotay today?" She asked him. He smiled into her hair.

"I'll make you a deal. You tell me what you and the Captain are up to and I will tell you what is going on with Chakotay." He said grinning down at her.

B'Elanna's eyes warmed as she looked up into his eyes. She lifted her face to his, asking for and receiving a slow kiss. Her heart picked up a beat as she tightened her arms around her husband. All thoughts of the Captain and Commander flowed from her brain as his tongue slipped past her lip. Her arms wrapped around his neck pulling him even closer. Tom's lips trailed down her neck, hands cupping her hips and lifting her.

The cry of a hungry child broke them apart. Breathing hard, B'Elanna pulled his head back down to place a quick kiss on his lips.

"Rain check, fly boy."

"Count on it." His voice was thick.

They turned and entered the nursery room together, each going to a separate crib on the far side of the room.

"There's momma's babies." The engineer crooned softly to the six month old twins in matching pajamas. They each took one of the little ones and walked on auto pilot through the act of changing the infants into clean diapers and clothes. Each grabbed a replicated bottle and settled onto the couch with a baby.

"Tell me what you and the Captain are up to." Tom said.

"Actually, I think we may be dealing with the same thing, just different sides." B'Elanna replied. "Tell me what Chakotay was so down about at lunch and I will let you in on what Kathryn and I are up to."

Tom looked up at her, judging her sincerity. He paused considering the best way to broach the sensitive subject. He had spent the last hour trying to convince Chakotay that he was worthy of the Captain. He wasn't sure that he had made any progress. Maybe B'Elanna would have more success. She was one of his oldest friends.

"OK. I asked Chakotay why he hasn't asked the Captain to marry him yet." He blurted out.

"And his response was…" She drug out the last word questioningly.

"He doesn't think he is good enough for her and he wants to give her the out of separation when we get home."

Disbelief covered her face.

"Are you kidding me?!" She screeched, instantly regretting it as the baby in her arms began to squall in fright. After a few minutes of calming the babies down, B'elanna began to recount her plans to Tom.

They were putting the babies back to bed when she turned and wrapped her arms around him.

"So what do you think flyboy? Are you in?"

Tom cupped his hands around her rear and lifted her to wrap around his waist. He buried his face in her cleavage, running his lips along the upper swell of her breast.

"Oh yeah. I'm in!" He said closing the distance between their lips.

Any plans for weddings and other people past from their minds as their hands traced over each other. Passion surrounded them, wrapping them in a blanket of warmth, bringing them closer together.

Kathryn wrapped her arms around Chakotay, resting her head on the swell of her lover's chest.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." Chakotay said, pulling her up onto his chest.

Kathryn slid her legs around his body, straddling him, drawing a growl from his throat. She began to press her center onto his bare center. Liquid pooled under her body, creating a slick coating for her body to slid across. She could feel his cock thickening beneath her.

Chakotay threw his head back, hands grasping at her hips, trying to lift her to the right angle. But Kathryn was having none of it. She twisted her hips out of his grasp and began sliding up and down the underside of his length. Her nailed raked down his chest, leaving marks running down his torso.

With a growl he sat up, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her to the right angle. Kathryn's head fell back, a cry of passion passing her lips. She could feel him buried inside her, stroking that special spot. Her body began to undulate on its own, working, reaching for release. Heat coursed through her system.

Chakotay sucked at her nipples, back and forth, teasing each on to a hot turgid point. His fingers dug into her hips guiding her along his length. Her velvet heat milked his cock, pushing his control away, pulling him deeper into her depths.

He looked up at her, mesmerized by the sight of her head thrown back, passion written across her features. He could not believe that this was real. She was really riding him, sharing her body with him. He wished he could say something to match to beauty of this moment, but he could not think beyond the next stroke of her body.

Her name crossed his lips, a whisper, a prayer. His body tightened, swelling within her. Kathryn screamed his name to the ceiling, her body falling forward to cover his.

"Mmm. I could stay like this forever." Kathryn whispered huskily.

"So why don't we?" Chakotay replied, smiling, rolling her underneath him. Settling into the cradle of her hips, he trailed his lips over her collarbone.

"Well," she said breathlessly, heat already flowing through her system, "That would require a final commitment from both of us." She felt him tense up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hold him to her. The plans she and her chief engineer had been working on ran through her head and she decided it was not the time for this particular conversation yet. Trying for a lighter note, she leaned up to nip his chin gently with her teeth.

"Of course, we would have to explain to Tuvok why he has to run all three shifts and why we are unavailable for any first contact situations." She laughed gently. Chakotay's body eased and began the motions of joining them together. The breath that had caught in his throat moments ago left his lungs on a groan as her body tightened around him.

After another passionate round of love making, Chakotay lay back on Kathryn's bed, his Captain curled around him, sound asleep within the circle of his arms.

He opened the box in his mind and examined his feelings for this woman and the subsequent reasons that he could not ask her to marry him.

He had meant what he said to Tom. He did not feel worthy of this space bound goddess. He knew that this moment of happiness was all he would be allowed. It always went that way. He would find a small piece of joy in his life and then he would have to survive through as it was taken from him. His past was testament to that. He had lost everyone he had ever cared about. The minute he made a commitment to someone they paid the price for it. His first love, his family, his village. All of it gone, all because of him.

He knew that he was not directly responsible, but he was the only one that had survived. He had been left to struggle with the remains and the memories with no support system. Cut adrift, alone, with no one to care how he felt. He had locked his heart away in a room with no entrance. Hidden his emotions from everyone, even himself.

Until Kathryn. The first time he had met her, standing on her bridge, he had fallen head over heels for her. The fire in her eyes. The daring in her heart as she stood toe to toe with him. The moment of trembling in her body as she had brushed up against him. He had watched the first flame of passion flow into her blue eyes from less than a foot away. And the years at her side had not diminished the passion for either of them.

Now he held her in his arms and found for the first time in a long time that he could smile. He could be happy and carefree. His heart was no longer locked away in that dark forbidden room. Instead it was in the small, capable hands of a red head Starfleet Captain. And he knew it was just a matter of time before something caused it to fall apart. Nothing this good ever lasted long. Not for him.

The thought of losing her left gaping wounds within him. He knew that this loss would be the one that he would never recover from. The universe had finally found a way to break him.

He tightened his arms around the one person who meant more than Earth to him and prayed that he would have the strength to keep his vows to her when the inevitable happened.

His last thought before allowing sleep to drag him under was '_why not take what is here while you can?'_

"Harry!"

Harry turned, PADD in hand to face his best friend, a knowing smile on his face.

"Yes, Tom. I have finished my part. Everyone is ready and the plan will be executed perfectly."

Tom stopped for a second to catch his breath, eyes sparkling.

"Great! I just came from the Cargo Bay and it looks great in there!"

_Torres to Paris._

Tom slapped his combadge.

"Paris here. What's up?"

"Tom, we need you! And do you know where Starfleet is? There is a problem that requires attention NOW!"

Tom and Harry exchanged a panicked glance. Three weeks of planning, getting everyone in the crew on board and keeping it from the commanding officers was on the line.

"Harry's right here B'El. Where do you need me?"

Harry just shook his head as a blue transporter beam enveloped them both. They found themselves in the mess hall. B'Elanna was covered in frosting, the remnants of the wedding cake laying at her feet, and a very happy looking Miral sitting in the middle of debris, shoving cake into her mouth as fast as she could. Kathryn in her dress uniform, now covered in smears of blue and purple, sat to the side, eyes dazed as she viewed the mess.

Tom and Harry both choked back laughter at the sight of their fearless, face covered in blue icing, resembling a very bad facial mask.

"What happened?" Tom asked, quietly, shoulders still shaking.

"YOUR DAUGHTER, WHO YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING…" B'Elanna started yelling.

Tom, grabbed her around the waist and silenced her with a kiss.

"Jenny was supposed to be keeping her, I was in the Cargo Bay seeing to the decorations there, and we can fix this." Tom turned his wife towards the Captain. "Why don't you take Kathryn back to our quarters and help her fix her uniform. Harry and I will fix this and…" His voice trailed off as he looked at his oldest child on the floor. The doors to the mess hall opened, admitting a very frazzled looking Jenny Delaney and Neelix.

"There you are! Oh Spirits, the cake!" Jenny's voice waivered, fear filling her eyes.

Harry put his arm around his fiancé and placed a quick kiss on her forehead.  
"Jenny, I need you to take Miral back to the nursery and get her cleaned up. We will take care of the cake!"

Jenny nodded helplessly, reaching down to cradle the sugar coated toddler. She cast a fearful glance at her Captain, still sitting quietly in the corner, staring at the remains of the cake, before heading out the door to safety.

Kathryn raised her tear filled eyes to B'Elanna.

"Maybe this is a sign." She said quietly. The pain in her voice quickly moved the three remaining officers into action. Tom grabbed Neelix and began giving him instructions. Harry grabbed a trash can and began to clean up the mess on the floor. B'Elanna leaned down in front of Kathryn, forcing her to meet her gaze.

"Kathryn, this is not a sign. You know as well as I do that nothing, and I mean NOTHING, ever goes as planned on this ship. Why should this be any different? Now, let's go clean both of us up. It would not do for the bride and the maid of honor to show up covered in the wedding cake!"

She pulled Kathryn to her feet and entered the code into her tricorder to initiate a site to site transport for the two of them.

Chakotay dodged around yet another Ensign carrying flowers and ribbons towards the Cargo Bay where the ceremony was going to be held. He had spent the better part of the morning dodging crew members or being stared at suspiciously.

Every time he entered a room, the conversation died down and every person present in the room would stare at him until he finally left. And to top his morning off, he had not been able to speak with Kathryn at all. She had been gone before he had woken this morning. He knew from the computer that she was running around the ship with B'Elanna, but every time he tried to catch her, she was mysteriously gone. He had 'just missed her' so many times that he was beginning to smell a conspiracy.

Muttering under his breath, he attempted to reach the Captain once more.

_Chakotay to Captain Janeway._

_Janeway here. What can I do for you, Commander? _ Her voice was all business, her use of his rank indicating that she was in work mode, the strain of laughter indicated that she knew why he was trying to reach her.

_I wanted to get with you before the ceremony about a few things. _There that was vague enough that no one else would understand.

_Commander, I am sorry. I will barely be able to make it to the ceremony on time. But I will meet you there. Janeway out._

Chakotay shook his head. That was completely unlike Kathryn. He spotted Tom and Harry in the corner with Ensign Billings threading flowers through one of the numerous arches that surrounded the guests. He headed over to them, hoping maybe someone on this blasted ship would tell him what was going on.

Chakotay tugged at the collar of his dress uniform. He had not been able to determine the strange vibes coming from the crew, but he was determined that nothing would ruin this day for his friends. He stood vigilant at Tom's side staring down the aisle waiting for the bride.

On the other side of the Cargo Bay doors, both women stood in their version of a wedding dress. Each had taken their dress uniforms and had them replicated in solid white and gold. B'Elanna reached over to the small table set up for them and handed over the second bouquet of flowers to her friend.

Kathryn grabbed B'Elanna's hand pulling her to a stop.

"What if he says no?" she whispered fearfully.

The engineer wrapped her arms around the fragile woman who was about to put everything on the line.

"Then, instead of having a wedding celebration tonight, we will have a first officer deep fry!"

Kathryn laughed and, hearing the opening strains of music, straightened her shoulders. The Captain would not be walking down the aisle in just a moment, but Kathryn would. She smiled and gave a nod, and locking her arm through the younger woman's and turned towards the door. With a deep breath she took the first step towards the future that she wanted.

Chakotay heard the door swish open and felt a fist slam into his midsection. His tongue felt thick and his collar tight as Kathryn and Belanna both walked into the room, arm in arm. Each wearing white, each face hidden behind a sheer veil, each carrying a bouquet of lilies. One set violet, the other blue. His eyes met Kathryn's as she walked down the aisle, head held high.

"Are you going to say no to that?" Harry whispered from his position behind Chakotay.

Chakotay could not take his eyes off of Kathryn. She looked almost ethereal. She was so beautiful. He had dreamed this before, this fantasy that he wanted so badly. The crew around them started smiling and nodding. Now all of the whispers and secret meetings made sense. This was her doing.

She had decided to force his hand. Anger began to fill him. How dare she play him like this? Force the decision that he wasn't ready for. He opened his mouth to stop the procession when he caught her eyes directly. The fear in those bright blue orbs stopped him. He looked closely at her from head to toe. She walked with her head held high, but he could see the slight tremble in her hands, the uncertainty written into the lines around her mouth and eyes. She was terrified, and yet she was walking down the aisle to him. Her eyes focused on him only. She was making the statement that she wanted him. And she was doing it before the entire crew.

The woman who feared marriage and rejection more than anything in the world, was taking the biggest step of her life, before the entire crew. And that step led her directly to him. She was putting herself, everything she was on the line to show him that she loved him.

Before he realized he had moved, he found himself standing at the edge of the aisle, reaching for her. Tears filled her eyes and she stepped up to take his hand.

"I love you, Chakotay." Her voice rang across the room.

"As I love you." He responded, his voice thick with emotions.

"I want to marry you. I want to be with you for the rest of this journey, no matter how long it is or where it takes us." Her voice waivered.

Chakotay lifted her left hand and placed and kiss on the knuckles.

"It would be my honor Kathryn." He said heavily, turning her to face Tuvok. He glanced over at Tom and B'Elanna, standing side by side, grinning at him. Tom gave him a thumbs up and turned to face forward as well.

"Wait!" Harry came running up the aisle. Both couples turned to look at him, emotions ranging from shock to rage on their faces. Harry skidded to a stop, pulling Jenny up beside him.

"You have room for one more couple in these proceedings?" He asked sheepishly.

Kathryn laughed and put her arm around the young man that had become like a son to her.

"Sure thing." Each couple scooted around until all persons involved were in position. Happiness radiated from all three couples.

Tuvok's voice began to pour through the room, directing each couple in their vows.

Naomi sat in the chair beside her mother, watching as the woman she considered to be another mother, was joined in matrimony to her chosen mate. The Commander was a handsome man and he definitely loved the Captain. Yes, this was a good match.

She felt tears slide down her face as the Commander placed his hand on the Captain's cheek, love shining from his eyes and declared loud enough for all to hear "I do, my beautiful warrior woman. With all my heart and soul."

That was the kind of love that surpassed all boundaries, all uniforms. The kind of love that would keep a heart warm and a soul shining through the years. She only hoped that she could find that kind of devotion. She stood and turned with the rest of the crew as each couple past down the aisle between them. Her eyes caught Icheb's across the aisle.

Yes, that kind of love could definitely be hers!


End file.
